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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · kid · bay · ball · fine · rush · club · chip

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rest — a break
  4. fine — high quality
  5. kid — child
  6. club — for golf
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. rush — hurry
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com